These Baby Names Rocked the 1950s

Known as the baby boom era, the 1950s marked the rise of suburbia, the popularity of poodle skirts and the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. Elvis Presley was America’s “King,” James Dean graced the silver screen and sock hops were all the rage. Whether you want to pay homage to the unique culture of the time or the movie “Grease,” your little one is sure to be a cool cat with a name rooted in this era.

MooseRoots, a genealogy data site by Graphiq, found the most popular baby names for boys and girls born in the 1950s. Using 2015 data from the Social Security Administration, the data team computed the average annual frequency of names for all decades, creating an inter-decade average.

Next, the standard deviation and averages of those values were calculated. Names that were two standard deviations above the inter-decade average during the 1950s were considered to have rocked the decade.

In total, the list contains 100 names — 50 each for boys and girls — that are anything but square. Some are more conventional (like Danny and Kathleen) while others are a bit more distinctive (Dinah and various forms of Rock), giving you a variety of options.